Elastic severing and positioning attachment



United States Patent Ronald J. Bose:

21 Bolan Drive, Huntington Station, New York 1 1746 Feb. 24, 1969 Oct. 27, 1970 inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented ELASTIC SEVERING AND POSITIONING ATTACHMENT 2 Claims, 6 Drawing figs.

US. Cl. 112/130 FieldofSearch 112/130; l2/59.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,495,424 5/1924 Morgan 1 12/ l 30 2,090,061 8/1937 Moranville. 1 12/130 2,755,492 7/1956 Vachon 12/59.5 3,011,460 12/1961 l-lafi" 112/130 Primary ExaminerPatrick D. Lawson AttorneyMyron Amer ABSTRACT: A sewing machine attachment for attaching elastic wherein the elastic is fed from above to the sewing station past an elastic severing and an elastic positioning means which, in practice, are operated in tandem, such that the 'elastic is adapted to be cut and the cut end thereof automatically delivered to the sewing station for continuation of the sewing attachment of the elastic.

Patented Oct. 27, 1970 l of 2 Sheet gm rs M #0 e W m 3 r J W 4 ELASTIC SEVERING AND POSITIONING ATTACHMENT The present invention relates generally to sewing machine attachments, and more particularly to an improved attachment for handling elastic during sewing attachment to fabric.

There are numerous garments which are finished with elastic and thus there are numerous attachments available to facilitate the handling of the elastic during its sewing attachment to these garments. Although differing in specific features of construcfion, these prior art attachments are characterized by means for feeding the elastic, from an out-of-theway source located beneath the sewing table, to the sewing needle or station at which an attaching seam is applied to join the elastic to the fabric. The combined elastic and fabric is then moved rearwardly of the sewing station and the length of elastic between fabric pieces is usually cut and subsequently trimmed in the finishing of the garments. This general mode of operation of known elastic sewing machine attachments is not entirely satisfactory since it does not minimize subsequent elastic trimming operations nor does it improve, in any significant way, the manner in which the elastic is applied to the fabric.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved elastic sewing machine attachment overcoming the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object to provide an attachment having a top feed mode of operation, which, in practice, enables the severing or cutting of the elastic such that the cut end thereof can be accurately aligned with the end of the fabric to which it is attached or, in the instance where the elastic is used to finish a waist opening of the garment, the abutment of the ends of the elastic can be made flush with each other and thus with no bulky overlap.

An elastic sewing machine attachment demonstrating objects and advantages of the present invention includes means mounting the elastic in an elevated position from the sewing station and the threading of the elastic from this elevated posi tion along a prescribed feed path to the sewing station. Located along the prescribed feed path is a cutter disposed in cutting relation to the elastic and also an elastic-positioning means disposed in holding relation to the elastic, the cutter and elastic-positioning means being operated in tandem such that the elastic is first cut and the cut end thereafter automatically delivered or repositioned at the sewing station as to permit continued sewing attachment of the elastic to the fabric. Cooperating with the cutter advantageously positioned at a selected distance located prior to the sewing station is a marking, located the same distance prior to the sewing station but along the feed path of the fabric, such that the passage of the end of the fabric past this marking constitutes a visual signal to the seamstress to operate the cutter and thereby sever the elastic so as to achieve a flush overlying relation between the severed elastic end and the end of the fabric.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a sewing machine attachment according to the present invention wherein the supporting sewing machine is illustrated in phantom perspective;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the attachment, illustrating further structural details thereof;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view, in section along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, illustrating further structural details of the cutter of the attachment;

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view of the elastic-positioning portion of the attachment resulting in repositioning of the elastic at the sewing station;

FIG. 5 is a partial plan view, on an enlarged scale and in section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4, illustrating further details of the elastic-positioning means of the attachment hereof; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5, illustrating still further details of the elastic-positioning means and in which positions of movement thereof are illustrated in full line and phantom perspective.

Reference is now made to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein there is shown an elastic severing and positioning attachment, generally designated 10, in its sup ported position on the sewing head of a sewing machine 12 which has a usual vertically reciprocating sewing needle 14. a presser foot 16, and feed dogs 18, all of which parts 14. 16 and 18 cooperate to define, in a well understood manner, a sewing station S for the sewing machine 12. As will be described in greater detail subsequently herein, the attachment 10 is designed to handle elastic E, this elastic, during a sewing interval of the machine 12, having an operative condition extending along a prescribed feed path F from a suitable spool or other source to the sewing station S, all as is clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2. Specifically, the function of the attachment 10 IS to sever selected and required lengths of the elastic F from its source and then reposition the severed end of the elastit at the sewing station S so that a subsequent sewing interval can proceed during which an additional length of the elastic E IS sewn to the next piece of fabric 20 being fed along a feed path P to the sewing station S. To this end, the attachment 10 m cludes two major parts: a cutter, generally designated 30. which, in operation is effective in severing the elastic, and an elastic-positioning means, generally designated 40, which in practice, is effective in repositioning the severed end of the elastic at the sewing station S for continued attachment of the elastic to the next fabric piece 20.

As is perhaps best shown in FIGS. I, 2, attachment 10 III cludes an appropriate sewing machine engaging strap means 22 which occupies a supported position on the sewing head ot the machine 12 and, on a depending portion 22a of which. as best shown in FIGS. 1, there is appropriately supported the previously noted cutter 30 and also a guide bracket 24 which at its end remote from the strap 22 has a laterally adjustable guide member 26 formed by two vertically oriented walls which define therebetween a guide channel 26a for the elastic E. Cooperating with the guide member 26 is an upper l shaped guide bar 28 which effectively guides the elastic E along its feed path to the sewing station S.

As is best shown in FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIGS l. 2. the cutter 30 is a scissors operatively arranged with one cutting member 30a stationarily mounted on a suppon bracket 32 so as to extend horizontally therefrom past the rear surface of the elastic E. Cooperating with this cutting member is a second pivotally mounted cutting member 301; having its cutting edge in facing relation to the cutting edge of the member 30a but on the opposite side of the elastic I: and its other end adjustably connected, as at 300, to a piston 32a of an air cylinder 32. As a consequence, pressure air introduced into the air cylinder inlet 32b is effective in producing a power stroke in the piston 32a which, in turn, results in pivotal move ment M in the cutting member 30b and a severing, by shearing, of the elastic E which has an interposed position between the cutting members 30a, 30b.

Returning again to a consideration of FIG. 2, it will be noted that elastic E just prior to being threaded between the cutting edges of the scissors 30 is threaded through the movable end of the previously noted elastic-positioning means 40. Specifi cally, and as best illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, the elastic contact ing portion of the positioning means 40 consists of a leg 40a extending laterally on the main body 40b which forms a hold ing surface 400 for the elastic. That is, the positioning means body 40b includes a slight extension 40b beyond the leg 40a in which there is rotatably mounted a bar 42 having a pair of elastic engaging pins 42a which are rotated into contact with the elastic E and cooperate with the holding surface 40c to grippingly engage the elastic B when there is movement of the body 40b in the direction in which the pins 420 are pointing. However, when the body 40b is stationary, or when there is movement only in the elastic E relative to this body, the elastic E readily moves past the points of the pins 421 without imment or interference. Similarly, when there is movement of the body.40b in the opposite direction in which the pins 42a are pointing, there is of course no gripping engagement by the pins 42a into the elastic E. The foregoing movement of the body 40b relative to the elastic E will be described later in greater detail and the significance thereof will soon 'be obvious. Completing the elastic gripping portion of the elastic means 40 is a helical spring 44 appropriately stationarily anchored at one end 440 and, at its other end 44b, connected to a pin 46 in the bar 42 so as to normally bias the pins 42a against the elastic E.

Reference is made specifically to FIG. 4 wherein it is shown that at its opposite end body means 40' is slidably adjustably carried within a bracket 48 which is pivotally connected, asat 50, to the strap or support means 22 disposed about the sewing head 12. Specifically, support 22 includes a generallyvertically oriented member 22b from which there are two transverse legs 220 which mount an air cylinder 52 having a piston 52a operatively connected via a link 54 to the bracket 48 so that during a power stroke of the piston 52a the body 40b is actuated through pivotal movement A about the pivot 50. Specifically, the elastic-positioning means 40 is adapted, in practice, to have an initial starting position in an elevated spaced position above the sewing station S and to be actuated, in response to pressure air entering through the air cylinder inlet 52b into the air cylinder 52, from this position into an elastic-transfer position in which the pivoted free end thereof is adjacent the sewing station S. Moreover, if prior to this pivotal traverse the cutter 30 has been actuated and, as a consequence, the elastic E severed in the plane of the cutting implements 30a, 30b, the severed end of the elastic designated E1 in FIG. 4, is effectively carried beneath the presser foot 16 (it being assumed that the presser foot is in its raised position at this time) such that this elastic cut end is carried with the fabric beneath the sewing needle 14 thereby permitting continued sewing attachment of the elastic E to the fabric 20.

A significant advantageous feature resulting from use of the attachment is illustrated in FIG. 2 and consists of the use of a marking 54 at the same distance X from a selectedpoint at the sewing station S that the cutting plane of the cutter 30 is located from this selected reference point. As a consequence, when the end of the fabric 20 during feed movement P into the sewing station S passes the marking 54, this provides a visual signal to the seamstress to operate the cutter 30 and will result in the severed end of the elastic E falling at or substantially at the end of the fabric 20 which passed the marking 54 when the two pass through the sewing station S. This is particularly significant where elastic is placed about the waist opening of a garment since it is highly desireable to have the beginning and end of the elastic exactly abut each other and thereby avoid the discomfort which otherwise would result from an overlapping of these elastic ends.

40b of the elastic-positioning Still another significant feature in the'mode of operation of the attachment 10 is best illustrated in FIG. 2. This feature" consists of the use of a switch 56 to operate the air cylinders 32, 52 in an alternate sequence or in tandem. That is, switch 56 may be operated by a knee press oreven a foot treadle and is constructed, in a manner well known to those versed in the art of switch construction, so asto permit a pulse of pressure air first into one air cylinder and then into the other. Thus,

upon a first actuation of the switch-56, a pulse of pressure air is admitted into. the cylinder 32 resulting in the severing of the elastic E by the cutter 30 and upon the next actuation of the' switch 56 the pulse of pressure air is then admitted into the air? cylinder 52 resulting in the repositioning of thesevered elastic end El at the mwing station S for a next successive sewing terval.

ing along a prescribed feed path from said source to said sewselected prescribed ing station, a scissors disposed at a distance along said feed path prior to said sewing stationin cutting relation to said elastic operatively effective to selectively sever said elastic, means defining a feed path to.-said sewing station for fabric to be joined to said elastic including a marking located prior to said sewing station at said same selected prescribed distance of said cutter from said sewing station so as to provide a visual signal for operating said scissors, an elastic-positioning means similarly disposed along said.

prescribed feed path adjacent said scissors on the side-thereof remote from said sewing station in holding relation to saidelastic operatively arranged for movement from a starting elevated position to an elastic-transfer position adjacent said sewing station, pressure air means operatively arranged to operate said scissors and said elastic-positioning means, andswitch means for causing said operation thereof in tandem, whereby following the severing of said elastic the severed end thereof is effectively repositioned for continued sewing at said sewing station by said elastic positioning means.

2. An elastic severing and positioning attachment as defined in claim 1 including means mounting said elastic-positioning means for pivotal movement between said elevated position and said elastic-transfer position, and elastic-gripping means on the free end of said elastic-positioning means effective to selectively engage said elastic only during movement from said elevated position to said elastic-transfer position but not during reverse movement therebetween.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution'is i n- 

